The Quran

Preface

إِنَّ الَّذينَ يُبايِعونَكَ إِنَّما يُبايِعونَ اللَّهَ يَدُ اللَّهِ فَوقَ أَيديهِم ۚ فَمَن نَكَثَ فَإِنَّما يَنكُثُ عَلىٰ نَفسِهِ ۖ وَمَن أَوفىٰ بِما عاهَدَ عَلَيهُ اللَّهَ فَسَيُؤتيهِ أَجرًا عَظيمًا

Yusuf Ali

Verily those who plight¹ their fealty to thee do no less than plight their fealty to God. the Hand of God is over their hands: then any one who violates his oath, does so to the harm of his own soul, and any one who fulfils what he has covenanted with God,- God will soon grant him a great Reward.

In the Hudaybiyah negotiations, when it was uncertain whether Quraish would treat well or ill the Prophet’s delegate to Mecca, there was a great wave of feeling in the Muslim camp of 1400 to 1500 men. They came with great enthusiasm and swore their fealty to the Prophet, by placing hand on hand according the Arab custom: see paragraph 3 of the Introduction to this Sūra. This in itself was wonderful demonstration of moral and material strength, a true Victory; it is called Bay'at alRidzvan (Fealty of God’s Good Pleasure) in Islamic History. They placed their hands on the Prophet’s hand, but the Hand of God was above them, and He accepted their Fealty. (R).